Bye Bye Storm Francis

This is what the storm looked like from NOAA 15 the evening before landfall:



I couldn't get a picture on the day as my weather satellite receiving aerial isn't totally waterproof.

Statistics recorded by my weather station:



First the rain arrived. When that stopped it was followed by the strong gusty wind. As that started to die down more rain followed. I recorded about 0.9 inches of rain in total. Not too bad. I've known far worse.

Penny spent much of the day asking to go in the garden, poking her head out of the back door, turning straight round and going back to bed to cross her legs.

Did manage our two walks. The morning one during a lull in the rain. After tea it was dry so we went down the lane. As the wind was howling straight along the lane, funnelled between buildings and hedges, it was a case of heads down and lean into the wind on the way back.

Minimal damage here. My plastic garden table was flipped upside down. Better that being blown away. Unfortunately I lost my tallest Sunflower. It had grown over 7 ft high and looked sturdy but a gust snapped the stem at ground level.

Not had to chance to look round the village as yet.

Storm Ciara squall

When Storm Ciara crossed the UK on Sunday there were several lines of squalls.
One passed over here.

From my weather records on Wunderground:



The top graph shows the temperature dropping from 14.7C to 7.1C as it passed through.

 

The rate of rainfall reached  50mm / hour (about 2 inches per hour).
Fortunately the squall passed through in about 15 to 20 minutes.

How it looked through my kitchen window:



There were lots of reports of Lincolnshire roads bring blocked by falling trees.
Talking to J, a dog walker we often meet, he had a narrow escape.
As he drove out of the small estate behind me a large tree crashed down ahead of him.
Needless to say he decided to go back  home.

One 'heritage' disaster was the 5 sail windmill in Burgh le Marsh losing its sails.
It looks as though the whole rotating section was blown off.
J told me he had heard that the sails were rotating backwards in the high wind.
Found these videos on t'internet.

When the sails started to break up:

The final damage:
 

 

Built around 1844. A working mill until the 1960's
Now owned by the County Council and run by volunteers.
I wonder whether it will be restored.

A Close Shave

More than a bit blustery this morning as storm Ciara struts her stuff across the country.
We just had a short walk to the end of my lane first thing.
A near neighbour had a close shave some time during the night.

A couple of broken fence panels as someone's trampoline went fly-about:



If it hadn't rested on his sturdy oak post and gates it could well have damaged their car:



Wind speeds recorded by my new weather station (from the Wunderground site)
Today from midnight to 9 a.m..



Blue = wind speed.  Orange dots = recorded gusts.
So far I have one fence panel rapidly disintegrating. I was expecting that one to go.